After a
confusion of venue, we played at home on Sunday. Credit to Mike for
getting the wicket and common looking so fantastic, especially with all
the rain we’ve had. Hyde Heath lost the toss and were asked to bowl.
Opening the bowling was Stanley and a new lad, Adam Swede. Stanley
was unlucky not to take two early wickets. Adam bowled extremely well, 9
overs, 1 for 40. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make an early breakthrough and
today our fielding really let us down – definite room for improvement.
Sohail bowled a long spell to some in-form batsman. Spencer came on
and when he pitched it up, we got the break-through we needed bowling 9
overs, 4 for 37. Really good effort. In the end we were
set 190 to chase but it should have been more like 160 if our fielding had
been on the ball.

Without three of our main batsman, our opening
pair, Ben and Kenny really did try hard. Ben nearly seeing off the
opening bowlers who were really swinging the ball in and out. After
losing two quick wickets, Jez came to the crease and steadied things
followed by Spencer who scored a blistering 69 but was unfortunately run
out. We were on target to chase down the 190 but Cublington’s
Saturday’s 1st bowler started to fly through our tail. Sohail did
dispatch him and we were getting closer. But once Sohail was bowled,
it just left Nick and Liam to consider trying to win or go for the draw.
So with two overs to go, both of them did really well and closed the game
out to a frustrated Cublington. All in all a lovely day on the
common.

A
weather forecast guaranteeing thunderstorms all afternoon threatened our
fixture this weekend, but the black clouds parted around Great Gaddesden's
pretty ground and we got our game in.

Proceedings began as positively as one can
remember; we had 11 players in whites at 1.55pm, we won the toss and took
a wicket with the first delivery. The wicket was thanks to Ben's spot on
start, a fine edge and Henry's dependable gloves - we were off and
running. Our bowling was excellent throughout, Ed Whitehead and Spencer
particularly. Spence found an extra yard or two of pace and his good
length troubled all who faced him and he took four wickets for not very
many runs. Kenny bowled very well too, taking two wickets.

It didn't. Henry and Dom got off to
a flyer; only needing a pedestrian 3 an over, they'd put on 80 in
the first ten overs. At that point Henry was hit badly under the
eye, the ball coming off a top edge from an attempted sweep. Gash
bleeding and bruise rising, Henry stoically batted on, another 50
and more red ink in his sights.

We bowled Gaddesden out for 99 and
hoped the bowling friendly pitch didn't make that feel more than
it sounded.

His bravery was rewarded with both,
coupled with Dom's 44* meant we won by 10 wickets, a feat we
haven't achieved for a few seasons by my reckoning. Another
notch for this season's WIN column.

Well here we go, my first match report.
Back to Hyde Heath we were, not a dandelion in sight, Mike’s wicket
was once again looking superb. Ballinger could really do with
his services! Unfortunately, we lost the toss again and were put
into bat by the Red Square Lions. Luke and Will to open, things
started ok and then we lost Will and Andy quickly and things were
looking a little wobbly at 18 for 2. Then through the white
gates strode Umar. After telling me all week that his preferred
batting position is no.4 I thought I’d give him a go. Luke and Umar
steadied it all. Umar proved me right and hit a fantastic 66
with 10 fours, and 1 six and a partnership with Luke of 113.
Luke continued to bat comfortably getting 81 not quite all the way to
his first ton for the club! Three wickets then fell quickly with
Spence and Nick both getting blobs. Then in came Ben Sonley with
a quick-fire 19 so a good first innings total of 212 – definitely some
runs to bowl at.

So into the field we went. We couldn’t
get the early breakthroughs we were looking for. Ben and Spencer
were very unlikely starting off. After 10 overs we had contained them
to 30 odd so unless we bowled them all out this was definitely heading
for a draw. We managed to pick up 7 wickets, 3 for Spencer off 2
spells adding up to 15 overs – really good effort. 3 wickets for
Luke, unlucky not to take 7 and one to the ever-reliable Jez. So
I guess you call this a winning draw for Hyde Heath as the Red Square
Lions finished at 136 for 7.

I do think if we’d won the toss and bowled
first we would have had another win. Better luck next week.

A tough Sunday at Ballinger, we were
beaten comfortably by a good opposition and an awful wicket.

Asked to bat first on not so much a
green top, as a weed top, our innings never really got going. An
excellent new ball pair, a couple of scuttlers and a couple of good
catches made for single figure scores almost all the way down. The one
exception was Spencer, around whom our innings was built. He appeared
to be playing on a different surface and against different bowling to
the rest of us and clattered his way to 36, our top score. Nine down
inside 20 overs gave Liam and Ben licence to play their natural
occupational games, to great effect, picking up singles and the
occasional 4 byes to inch us into the 120s, which if not competitive
at least gave us something to bowl at.

We started well with the ball, picking
up a couple of early wickets, but these were to be our only victims.
With only 70 odd still required, Ballinger's record holding run scorer
came to the middle and made things look pretty easy.

After test matches losing captains talk
about taking away the positives. Well, how about this for a positive;
by six o'clock we were showered, changed and outside the Plough in the
sunshine with a round of cold beers, toasting England's success at
Lord's and consoling ourselves with the fact the we'd scored more runs
than South Africa that afternoon.

We have Matt to thank for our match
this weekend.The Chair
managed to magic up a fixture through the conference after Colney
Heath pulled out on Thursday. The side we played, London Car
Rentals, were among the strongest we'll face and a very friendly
bunch, who played the game in just the right spirit.
A fixture to repeat perhaps?

To the cricket. We rather let ourselves
down in the field, we started sloppily with the ball and though our
bowlers pulled things back, our fielding was pretty dreadful.
Countless catches went down and basic stops not made, it was all very
unlike us. Credit though must go to Kenny who fielded well and offered
unsolicited, unconstructive fielding tips to everyone else and to Nick
who took an excellent catch at mid off (before shelling a much simpler
one a couple of overs later). A couple of clean striking, aggressive
innings piled on pressure and runs and we went to tea requiring 240 to
win.

For the early part of our innings, we
kept near enough to the required run rate. Henry was not at his most
fluent, but never looked like being dismissed and played a crucial
anchoring innings for Henry King, Spencer and Umar to play with
freedom around him. Spencer's innings was of particular note, his
second score in the 40s in as many weeks and whilst he was there it
looked for all the world that we might pull off a run chase that would
have gone down in the history books.

It wasn't to be,
wickets fell and we lost momentum and the 20 odd runs required from
the final two overs proved too many. A good draw to secure, given the
scoreboard pressure we faced. No doubt Henry comes away with Man of
the Match honours, thanks to another excellent unbeaten hundred
(113*). His ability this season to go up and down the gears to suit
the state of the innings is mightily impressive. As is the fact that
from memory he has only offer one chance all year, that being his only
dismissal to date. Well batted Capps.

President's Day, the highlight of the social calendar was upon us
again. The beer festival the night before had been a roaring success
and we're all very grateful to Nick and Emma for their wonderful
organisation and to many others who helped set up, work the bar and
man the BBQ.

Following many years of washed out, rain
effected, or one sided matches this year's President's Day fixture was
competitive and played under sunny skies. Charlie dusted off his
whites to skipper Johny Capper's side of HHCC alumni, local rivals and
old friends. As is tradition, the club bowled first and things got off
to a suspect start when a short pitched delivery scuttled along the
deck to bowl their opening bat, and when Luke pulled off a stunning
return catch in his next over the score was 10-2 and Johny was
worrying.

Fortunately at this stage Charlie,
presumably keen to generously set the Heath batsmen something to
chase, overlooked a convincing LBW appeal and Adam Pusey capitalised.
His 151* was beautifully constructed, brutal at times and patient at
others. We bowled well throughout, Luke particularly. Our fielding
wasn't at its best but there were some high points, Ben deflecting a
straight drive back onto the stumps in his bowling follow through, and
a sharp diving catch by Dom behind the stumps.

The President's XI set 238 which would
take some getting. Our reply got off to a stuttering start. Plenty got
in, but then got themselves out. The sight of Luke leaving a straight
one rather summed things up. Then Henry King and Spencer came together
and both scored at a great rate, with such confidence that it looked
like a win might just become possible. But in the 30s Henry was caught
attempting to chip over the infield and all of a sudden our tactics
needed to change.

Fiddy, at that stage on 30, took it upon
himself to see us home to a draw. Seeping determination from every
pore, he resisted loopy declaration bowling, the return of quick
openers and a bucket load of unsolicited advice from fielders. It was
a selfless (he finished tantalising close to 50), mature and match
saving innings, the best I have seen him play. Wickets fell at the
other end, until our last man Ben came to the crease, fresh from his
long blocking session two weeks ago and the pair barnacled their way
to the close.

An excellent day for the club and the
village, made possible by the army of local volunteers to whom we are
extremely grateful.

Two fantastic individual performances,
well supported by the rest of the side took us to our seventh victory
in a row this weekend.

We lost the toss to Southwell Ramblers
and we're asked to bowl first on what looked like a belting wicket and
quick outfield. The Ramblers strong start confirmed this and they
raced to 40 without loss. We managed to peg them back a bit, then Nick
unleashed Adnan and the game changed. Adnan bowled beautifully all
afternoon. He took a good return catch from their star man and Henry
supported him behind the sticks with three stumpings. This is to be
Adnan's final spell for the club as he's moving to Leeds and his
parting gift to us was 7 for 41, well bowled. Sohail bowled a fearsome
spell, which included a characteristic 'bowled' wicket. Stanley and
Ben were unlucky not to break through and Dom popped up at the end to
buy a couple of wickets thanks to a stunning overhead boundary catch
from Stanley and a more regulation grab by Kenny.

We bowled the Ramblers out for 139.
We've made hard work of similar chases recently, but not so this week.
Henry and Dom's opening stand was dominated by Henry who's having an
outstanding season, but even in that context this knock was special.
He timed the ball sweetly from the first over, playing classy shots to
all parts, there was nowhere to bowl to him. When Dom's much more
conservative innings came to an end the score was over 100 and victory
a near certainty. HHCC debutant Henry K made short work of the 30 or
so still required, with some smart shots that we look forward to
seeing more of. Henry finished on 87* and pushed his season average
above 400. He even bought a jug to mark the occasion!

So we say farewell to Adnan who we have
enjoyed playing with so much for the last few years - we wish him well
in Leeds. There's space in the side again for a leg spinner, anyone
know what time the first Eurostar pulls into St Pancras on Sunday
mornings?

An wonderful victory for HHCC this week,
to extend the winning streak to six. Things didn't get off to a good
start though, Little Missenden's Australian opening bat got off to a
flyer with well struck cover drives, to put 47 in the score board
without loss after 8 overs. We needed some magic and Sohail provided
it, strangling the Aussie down leg. There followed an odd exchange as
the batsman firmly told the umpire to retract his decision, claiming
not to have hit it, which the umpire, in the spirit of a Theresa May
U-turn, did. With one eye on catches column in the end of season
averages sheet, Dom just as firmly reminded the umpire how umpiring
worked and to his credit said umpire upheld his original decision,
pleasing the many (fielders), not the few (the batsman).

Sohail struck again the very next ball
and from there on in, we were into them. Ben reeled off 12 excellent
overs and took two wickets and Adnan tossed the ball high, extracted
turn and took three wickets for 15 runs from eight overs. Bursts from
Kenny and Fiddy saw them take a wicket apiece and Aaron's cool head
ensured we capitalised on some suicidal running between the wickets.
We bowled Little Missenden out for 119.

Oh what a mess our top order made of the
chase, we were quickly 14 for 4. Out strode Kenny and we wondered what
his approach might be to this perilous situation. He decided to belt
everything pitched in his half as hard as he could and it was good to
watch. He needed a foil, someone to sure up an end and Aaron was the
man, enabling Kenny to keep hitting freely. It took a wonderful catch
to dismiss Kenny, who fell just one short of his 50, but what a
wonderfully entertaining and match resuscitating 49 it was.

There was still work to be done. Now 8
down, we were still 30 short and in the context of a 120 run target,
still a way off. We needed another significant innings and Liam
provided it. His wicket was never in doubt, even when opening bowlers
were brought back on, Liam's forward defence was impenetrable. He
played no false or forcing shots and knew that with 20 overs still
remaining, the singles would come. Slowly but surely he was getting us
to the line. Liam was ably supported by Ben, who occupied wonderfully
in the slowest but most important 4 not out I've ever witnessed. A
guide past backward point and we'd done it! Liam finished on 22*.

After an excellent fielding effort, it
look for all the world that we'd thrown this game away. But every
single one of our numbers 5 to 10 contributed, to make damn sure we
won and keep our winning streak going. Will it last to President's
day?

A
classic start to a Sunday cricket
match, an opposition car had broken
down en route to the match, so three
members of Roxbourne's XI would be an
hour late. They forfeited the toss,
and given we had nine players at the
ground, to their eight, we fielded
first.

Luke
bowled brilliantly, slightly fuller
and slightly straighter than is
natural for him and Roxbourne's top
order couldn't cope. A superbly
deflected bowlers run out was icing on
the cake from Luke, whose figures read
9-1-24-2. His economy was particular
noteworthy given that Roxbourne's
strategy was T20 in style. Bats were
thrown at everything, which got the
scoreboard rattling along, but
unfortunately for them, the wickets
column rattled along nicely too.
Sohail struggled with his line early
on, but his last four overs were
excellent and he also took two
wickets. Adnan returning from injury
bowled a very tight spell (10 runs off
his 5 overs) and took his first wicket
of the summer with the worst ball he
bowled all day, good old leg spinners!
Waq twirled down some offies until
their number 8 whacked him into the
trees, at which stage he decided to
return to his more usual seamers and
clean bowled the number 8 the next
delivery. His accuracy cleaned up the
tail and we bowled Roxbourne out for
135.

Our
reply raced to 35 with pit loss.
However, Dom managed to combine an
awful shot, with a very good catch,
setting off a mini collapse which saw
three wickets fall in six balls for
the addition of one run - game on.
Luke joined Henry 'red ink' Capper,
and the pair sensibly went into a
quiet stabilising period for some
overs. A classy, straight punch for
four by Luke signalled that his eye
was in and the two returned to their
natural free flowing games, striking
bad balls to all parts. Luke was run
out on 40 thanks to a very smart
direct hit, but the damage had been
done. Henry, unfurled sweetly timed
consecutive cover drives (yes, you
read that correctly, eat yer heart out
Ian Bell) and the job was done.

After a
classic start to a Sunday cricket
match, we also had a classic finish;
the Plough full to burst with
cricketers drinking warm beer and
watching the rain fall outside. Inside
we celebrated our fifth win in a row,
wondered whether this was a record and
calculated Henry's current average.
It's 348. Perhaps the highest average
without having bought a jug since
records began.

On a sizzling afternoon at Fortress Heath, we won again,
making it four wins in the trot !

We hosted the strong Little Marlow, won the toss and asked
them to bat first. Their experienced opening pair were aggressive
from the start, but Ben and Sohail contained them and were well
supported with committed fielding all round. Stanley, coming on
first change bowled with deadly accuracy and a well disguised
slightly slower ball, that stuck in the pitch and tested the well
set batsmen. Debutant Saj came on to bowl a seemly never ending
spell, which started seam-up and as the ball softened, he very
effectively changed to off spin. We began to chip away at the
wickets, then Jeremy came on to great effect, striking twice in
two balls.

Though we bowled well, over the course of the innings a couple of
chances went through pairs of hands, the odd long hop was
dispatched and three of Little Marlow’s batsmen put together
significant innings. We went to tea requiring 212 to win.

It was the first weekend of Ramadan, and 12 players across the two
teams were fasting. Given the heat, humidity and length of day a
great deal of respect was extended to our fasting team mates and
oppo and it was a touching sight to see nine of the opposition
make their afternoon prayers together on the outfield.

To reach 212, our reply needed to start with impetus and Will
Cousins gave us just that, clattering the odd loose ball over the
boundary for sixes and fours, allowing the more sedate Dom to get
his eye in (and digest the 32 sandwiches he’d had to eat, given
Ramadan’s double measures). Saj picked up where Will left off and
sweetly timed some back-footed cover drives during a smart 20 odd.
Kenny came to the crease and was firmly instructed by Dom to block
his first ball (the last of an over). Kenny theoretically
consented, then pounded said delivery high and far over mid-on,
and continue with this strategy for a few overs.

Dom meanwhile had steadily made his way into the 60s, which
combined with the firepower at the other end meant we had kept the
required rate to a manageable 5 an over. With 70 still required,
Dom missed a straight one and set off a batting collapse that
looked to make victory impossible. But Jeremy steadied the ship,
shoring up an end and another important partnership with Sohail
got us over the line with two wickets and plenty of overs to
spare.

We travelled to Great Missenden this
week, grateful for a wicket to play on given the deluge of rain in
the days before the match. We were less grateful to be invited to
bat first on a pudding – today was not going to be a run fest. Out
batsman used contrasting methods; Henry was determined and gritty
and reached 50; Umar, Kenny and Sohail were cavalier and wasted no
time chipping in with important 20s and 30s. We were bowled out
for 147, which felt about par, given the conditions.

A wonderful tea awaited us! Barbequed
burgers, falafel and halloumi, all sorts of salads and homemade
scones, washed down on the sly with bottles of beer – did we
really have to go back out and field?

We did, and we got off to a flyer. Ben and
Sohail started brilliantly, Ben particularly and he picked up
three early wickets, to leave Little Missenden reeling, crawling
along at two runs an over, wickets tumbling. Ben was instrumental
in the fourth wicket too, the batman clipped Sohail hard round the
corner, to where Ben must have been reliving his last wicket,
because the first he knew about the ball it was hitting him on the
forearm and lodging nicely into his gathering arms – casual. The
Pelicans pulled themselves together though and a
brilliant/frustrating partnership ran us ragged for 15 overs or
so, pinching singles where there oughtn’t to have been and
dispatching the increasing number of loose deliveries to the
boundary.

As can be the way when defending a low
total, we had gone from cruising to victory, to looking like
throwing it away. A rallying call from the skipper; a new
strategic field set; and a double bowling change did the trick.
Their strike batsman heaved a Dom offie to long off and Haroon
Rauf charged in and took an excellent high catch. Ben came back on
and immediately nipped out his fourth wicket and numbers 10 and 11
managed to miss a couple of straight, slows ones from Dom and
victory was ours.

Another excellent team effort, another win
against the odds and a third victory in a row, we could get used
to this.

A memorable victory away from home this
week. We travelled the couple of miles to the Lee, with two debutants in
the side, Waq and Aaron, one assumes their matching beards is coincidence,
rather than a new selection policy. We won the toss and chose to bowl,
news which was received gleefully by the oppo skipper, he who laughs last
and all that...

We didn't bowl badly, nor field badly, nor
make any strategical errors. We struggled though with the limited overs
rule of bowlers being restricted to eight overs, and more so with some
hideously ugly and brilliantly effective middle order slogging and
slashing. The Lee looked set for an imposing 250 plus score, until Waq and
Sohail pulled things back towards the end and we restricted them to 226.
Credit to Kenny and Fiddy too for good control and to take pace off the
ball, Dom debuted some off spin to reasonable effect.

The Lee's opening bowling spell was a
barrage; both were quick, one was banging it in short, the other hurled
down chin high beamers. Henry and Dom were obturate and pounced on any
misdirected delivery they could, to try and stay near to the run rate. At
20 overs we were 109 without loss, oppo moral broken and a good foundation
for our aggressive middle order to come in and 'express themselves', as
younger TMS commentators would say.

And so it came to pass. Dom fell soon after
drinks, but Will, Waq and Fiddy all followed with useful and brutal
cameos. Henry was still going, anchoring the innings beautifully and when
Nick joined him only handful of runs were required for victory and for
Henry's hundred. Trouble was we were in the penultimate over. Henry
selflessly instructed the on-strike-skipper to finish the match and for
the second week in a row, Nick did just that.

To chase 226 is a fine achievement, and to
do so against this depth of bowling attack, even better. Hats off to clean
and powerful striking by the talented Waq and Fiddy at the end, but
Henry's innings was a very special, match winning one. 99 not out though,
jug evasion.

The first home fixture of Nick's
captaincy ended in a close fought win for Hyde Heath. We chose to
field first and our four man, all seam attack did us proud. Luke and
Stanley shared the new ball, tested Chiltern's top order and were
unlucky not to take more wickets. These whippersnappers made way for
the experience and guile of Jeremy and Sohail, both theoretically
making tentative returns to arm turning over...not so you'd notice,
they shared eight wickets between them! Sohail delivered his leg stump
yorkers seeming at will to take five wickets, three of which were
'bowleds', and two in two balls. Jez took three wickets with tight
lines and variations of pace, including a stunning slower ball that
looped past a heave-ho-ing batsmen to nudge off stump.

The team's fielding was excellent,
particularly Spencer in the covers who must have saved 20 runs,
cleanly snapping up some full blooded drives that would have raced to
the boundary otherwise. We were set 155 to win.

Our reply started watchfully, Dom and
Matt had chosen not to net this winter and their footwork showed signs
of rust. Matt played a trademark Sims square drive that rattled to the
ropes, before receiving an unpleasantly good straight delivery which
bowled him. So to the Heath engine room, where talent and lusty blows
abound, in Luke, Spence and Kenny Holt. All three were directed to
take their time and play themselves in and all three tried to hit a 12
year old leg spinner into the trees and all three tried in vain.
30-4.

The situation called for a wise old
head, and Jez was just the man. He joined Dom and together they ran
hard, and played measured innings to add 70 to the total. Dom reached
his half century but a good diving catch saw him off soon after, with
50 still required for victory and overs closing in. A mix up between
the skipper and Jeremy ended in Jez being stranded half way down and
run out in the 20s. The importance of his stabilising knock, added to
his three earlier wickets made him a standout for Man of the Match.
Sohail joined Nick and the way these two bat, run rate was never going
to be an issue, three overs of brutal fours and sixes from both men
saw us within touching distance. Alas, Sohail fell and Liam 'Boycott'
Harrison strode to the crease. With only two runs needed Liam
uncharacteristically tried to score! But the match was appropriately
ended by new captain, Nick, to smash the winning runs to complete his
first victory as skipper, in his first home fixture. We hope to see
many more.